Heating-oil tanks are the most common thing homeowners inherit without knowing it. Hundreds of
thousands of houses across the five boroughs and Long Island burned oil before converting to gas, and
converting rarely meant removing the tank. It was pumped down, disconnected, and left — in the
basement, in the yard, or under the driveway. This is what dealing with it properly costs, and how the
work divides up.
The cost table
- Basement tank, 275 gal, cleaned: $800–$1,800
- Basement tank, 550 gal, or difficult carry path: $1,400–$2,600
- Buried tank, 550–1,000 gal, open ground: $2,000–$5,000
- Buried under driveway, patio or walk: add $1,000–$3,000 for breakout and haul
- Sidewalk vault or structural slab above the tank: priced individually
- Commercial basement tank, 1,000–2,000 gal: $3,500–$9,000 for the demolition and
rigging scope, plus night-work premium in occupied buildings - Clean and abandon in place: $1,500–$3,000
- Contaminated soil: separate licensed scope, billed by the ton — from a few
thousand dollars to very large numbers
Three trades, three licences
The tank contractor (licensed) pumps out residual oil and sludge, cleans and
degasses the tank, files the permit with the fire authority — FDNY in the five boroughs, the county
or town fire marshal on Long Island — and issues the closure documentation your buyer, lender or
insurer will ask for.
The demolition contractor — us — breaks out any slab, driveway or patio over the
tank, supports the excavation, cuts the emptied tank into sections, carries or rigs it out, and hauls
the steel and the debris away. We also backfill with clean
fill and compact once the hole is cleared.
The environmental contractor (licensed) samples soil and removes and disposes of
contaminated material, per ton. Nobody should quote this scope before sampling.
What actually moves the price
Access. Whether a small machine can reach the tank is the single biggest factor on
a buried tank; a hand-dug side yard can double the excavation cost. What is over it.
Concrete and asphalt are priced by area and thickness and disposed of by weight.
Carry path. On basement tanks the stair decides everything — section count, crew
size, floor protection. Findings. Sludge volume, a rusted-through shell, or a second
tank nobody mentioned. Timing. Tanks found mid-project cost more than tanks found
before mobilisation, every time.
The order to do it in
Locate → sample → tank contractor pumps, cleans, degasses, permits → demolition opens the ground
and removes the tank → soil clears → backfill and haul-away → closure paperwork issued. Any other
order costs money. If the tank is part of a larger project — a
gut, a
full house demolition or an oil-to-gas
conversion — slot it in before foundation or mechanical work starts.
One more saving worth taking
On a conversion, the old boiler, burner, piping and cast-iron radiators come out with the tank
steel on the same visit and the metal is credited. Same principle as any of our
haul-away work: one mobilisation, one load, one invoice. Call
(718) 587-0156 once you know where the tank is, and we will tell you exactly which
part of the job is ours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to remove an old oil tank?
Not automatically. A properly cleaned, degassed and documented tank can sometimes be abandoned in place. But buyers, lenders and insurers frequently require removal with a closure letter, so the decision is usually driven by a sale or refinancing rather than by the tank itself.
How long does it take?
A basement tank is typically a single day once it has been cleaned. A buried tank in open ground is usually one to two days for the removal, plus the wait for soil results before backfill. Hardscape and vault work add a day or more.
Who files the permit — you or the tank contractor?
The licensed tank contractor. They handle fuel removal, cleaning, degassing, the fire-authority permit and the closure documentation. Our scope is demolition, removal and disposal.
What does contaminated soil cost?
It is priced by the ton by a licensed environmental contractor and ranges from a few thousand dollars to far more, depending on volume and disposal classification. Sampling first is the only honest way to know.
Is the scrap steel worth anything?
Yes, and we credit it. On a single residential tank it is a modest offset; on an oil-to-gas conversion with the boiler and radiators included it is worth more.
Can you do a commercial tank in an occupied building?
Yes, typically at night or over a weekend with protected corridors and a booked freight elevator. Expect a night-work premium, and expect the tank to be cut into sections sized to the exit path.